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My dictionary defines worry as “to feel uneasy or anxious; fret; torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts.” Did you ever realize when you worry, you are inflicting torment on yourself? Worry is self-inflicted suffering, and it never produces anything good.
We’ve looked at three reasons Jesus gave for not worrying: First, because of who you are as a child of God. Second, because it never does any good, and third, because it is a poor testimony to those around you who observe you worrying. Now, we’ll see how we can stop worrying.
Worry is a function of your mind, your thoughts. In order to stop worrying, you have to change your thought patterns. And in order to change your thought patterns, you have to replace wrong thoughts with right thoughts. Here is the thought that can stop you from worrying:
- You have a heavenly Father who is taking care of you.
Jesus said in Matthew 6 our Heavenly Father knows what we need and will provide for our needs when we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Now, this may cause you to ask some questions, like why doesn’t God answer all my prayers if he is taking care of me? That’s what we expect a father to do, right? I think of my own father, and I am certain if he could meet any need I had, he would, and he often did.
It often seems like our earthly father is more predictable than our Heavenly Father. Most earthly fathers can be counted on to do anything they can for their children. Yet often our Heavenly Father doesn’t come through for us the way we think he should, or the way we want him to. Does he love us less than our earthly father? Why doesn’t he act like my earthly father would?
Well, it’s quite simple. He has a different agenda for us than our earthly fathers. He has an eternal agenda, and his purpose is to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ. This daily transformation often comes through unexpected—and unwanted—ways.
Spurgeon, a great preacher of the 19th Century, wrote: “O blessed acts of sorrow that cut a pathway to our God by chopping down the tall trees of human comfort.” Even when you’re in the midst of difficulty and you don’t see how God is taking care of you, you should not worry, because he is working everything out for your good.
In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28).